The Jaffe Briefing - August 3, 2017

By JAFFE COMMUNICATIONS

August 3, 2017 at 10:09 AM

OUR TAKE ON THE NEWS IN NEW JERSEY

STATEWIDE - It is often said we must be nuts to live in New Jersey. Or, more precisely, one in five New Jerseyans has a "diagnosable mental disorder," says the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies. And, apparently, there is a chronic shortage of psychiatrists in the Garden State who can put us on the couch and ask about our mothers. NJ101.5 reports there is a growing demand for mental health services, but a lack of psychiatrists, especially in Warren, Cumberland, Salem and Cape May counties. A prime reason for the shortage: Psychiatrists are retiring in droves, and many care providers are going into other lines of work... And how does that make you feel?

WEST WINDSOR - C'mon, you gotta have a high school football team.But the state Department of Education is digging in its heels, refusing to let West Windsor-Plainsboro North merge its football team with West Windsor-Plainsboro South. So, North won't field a team this fall, to the detriment of the marching band, cheerleading squad, homecoming events, pep rallies and overall school spirit, says Sen. Shirley K. Turner. The senator says there should now be a state law allowing high schools within the same district to combine sports programs. Makes sense, but just imagine the super-teams that would be created in cities with plenty of kids to choose from. (Think Newark v. Millburn.)

ON THE ROAD - "Textalyzers" may soon be the hottest new gadget in every cop's arsenal. These handy-dandy devices would let police scan motorists' cellphones to see if texting contributed to an accident. There is now a renewed push for Sen. Richard Codey's year-old bill to allow cops to use the scanners and impose stiffer penalties for idiots (like us) who text and drive. No surprise, civil liberties advocates say textalyzers are a gross violation of basic privacy. An ACLU lawyer tells NJ.com: "It's an invasive search into a person's life without a warrant."

NEWARK - Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, the Archbishop of Newark, may be hoping for some heavenly intervention when he takes the stand today to explain why one of his schools, St. Theresa's in Kenilworth, expelled a girl after her father sued to have her play on the boys' basketball team, CBS reports. Diocesan lawyers say the public should not be expecting blockbuster testimony from Tobin, downplaying his appearance as limited in scope. This is one of those stories in which it would appear easy to slam what would appear to be a heartless, outdated diocese. But we suspect there is much more at play here.

TRENTON - Rivalries can sometimes go too far. Take, for instance, city cops who feel they got hosed because firefighters scooped up $1.1 million more in overtime than they did in the last fiscal year. The Trentonian says the city shelled out $3.5 million in overtime to firefighters, but just $2.4 million to police officers. One peeved policeman anonymously told the tabloid "police should be getting more OT," given the daily dangers they face, adding crime victims "should be really pissed too." Maybe these rivals could try competing for the lowest OT, not the highest.

IN THE MEDIA

IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR, AWAY - CBS reports NASA has posted a six-figure job for a "Planetary Protection Officer." Apparently, the space industry needs the right stuff to help thwart the spread of extraterrestrial life ("intentionally or unintentionally") on Earth and to outside solar systems. According to the job listing: "Planetary protection is concerned with the avoidance of organic-constituent and biological contamination in human and robotic space exploration." Whatever. The five-year gig has a reported salary guideline of $124,406 to $187,000 annually, with benefits. Mileage reimbursement should be a nice perk, especially when traveling to other galaxies for a meeting.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

It was on this day in 1977 that Radio Shack introduced the Tandy TRS-80 personal computer. Just 25 units were available, according to a press release, but thousands were ordered within weeks. By 1982, the TRS-80 was the hottest-selling PC - even outselling Apple five to one - with its "powerful" 4KB memory.

WORD OF THE DAY

Splenetic - [spli-NET-ik] - adjective

Definition: Marked by malevolence or spite

Example: What splenetic nutball came up with Trump's new immigration policy?

WEATHER IN A WORD

Sticky

Editor's Note: Jaffe Communications is the franchisee/publisher of TAPinto New Brunswick.

The opinions expressed herein are the writer's alone, and do not reflect the opinions of TAPinto.net or anyone who works for TAPinto.net. TAPinto.net is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the writer.

The New Brunswick Free Public Library will be celebrating its 9th annual Indian Holi Festival on Saturday, April 7th, 2018 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the library’s Carl T. Valenti Community Room. The performances will begin after remarks by Mr. Upendra J. Chivukula, Commissioner of New Jersey Board of Public Utility.

TRENTON - New Jersey, one of the only employers who pays its workers for unused sick time, and then appears mystified when it struggles to balance its budget, may finally be capping sick-leave payouts. The proposal, obviously unpopular with labor unions, has been discussed before, but not with traction. It is back in the mix again, to cap payouts ...

NEW BRUNSWICK - Even though spring break is over for Rutgers students, this week marks the first day of spring, even if the weather still makes it feel like winter. But don’t let that stop you from enjoying the many fun events happening in and around Hub City!

Monday, March 19

Come out and enjoy a free film at the New Brunswick Public Library. They will be showing the 2016 ...

NEWARK - The National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) is proud to announce that the New Jersey Association of Health Underwriters has once again received Gold Certification – awarded to the strongest chapters in the nation.

NJAHU achieved Gold Certification from national headquarters underscoring how well the organization has operated and achieved its lofty goals in the ...

ON THE RAILS - Another commuting mess this morning, as the antiquated Portal Bridge got stuck in the "up" position at 4:22 a.m. That caused a bunch of rush hour trains to be cancelled between Newark and Manhattan for four hours or so. Both NJTransit and Amtrak riders were completely screwed. You may recall the proposed Gateway ...

NEW BRUNSWICK – Music, cultures and lifestyles will be celebrated in the city all year, with festivals and special events scheduled for weekends from April through October, including the city’s first day to highlight yoga.

City council members this week approved permits for nine events, starting with the traditional Rutgers Day Parade on April 28, which will start on Senior Place ...

NEW BRUNSWICK - Deep in a tropical forest in Borneo 15 years ago, Rutgers student Didik Prasetyo first encountered a young male orangutan that he named “Jerry.”

The great ape was one of several orangutans that Prasetyo and other researchers followed at the Tuanan Orangutan Research Station in the Mawas Conservation Area in Indonesia. Prasetyo was skeptical when colleagues said ...

TRENTON - New Jersey, one of the only employers who pays its workers for unused sick time, and then appears mystified when it struggles to balance its budget, may finally be capping sick-leave payouts. The proposal, obviously unpopular with labor unions, has been discussed before, but not with traction. It is back in the mix again, to cap payouts ...

ON THE RAILS - Another commuting mess this morning, as the antiquated Portal Bridge got stuck in the "up" position at 4:22 a.m. That caused a bunch of rush hour trains to be cancelled between Newark and Manhattan for four hours or so. Both NJTransit and Amtrak riders were completely screwed. You may recall the proposed Gateway ...

NEW BRUNSWICK - When you rent out apartments to Rutgers students, expect some surprises. But one landlord received a shocker beyond expectation: a $8,117.07 water bill for the last three months of 2017, TAPInto New Brunswick reports. The landlord went to the City Council meeting this week, pleading that the bill on his Comstock Street ...

TRENTON - Ever since we met Gov. Phil Murphy, he has been talking about the same stuff: higher taxes for the rich, saving NJ Transit, legalizing marijuana, giving more money to public schools and a higher minimum wage. So, when lawmakers went to Trenton yesterday to hear the rookie governor's first budget message, there weren't a lot of ...

TRENTON - As Gov. Phil Murphy prepares to deliver his first budget address at 2 p.m. today, at the State House, observers will be curious if his proposals jive with the state's pension mess. Look for the governor to talk about campaign topics like equal pay, health care, climate change, immigration and offshore drilling, as well as the proposed ...

NEW BRUNSWICK - If you want to succeed in New Jersey, you need to figure out, to some degree, what all these millennials are thinking. New Jersey Future tried to get to the answer, during a recent day-long event in New Brunswick that NJ Spotlight covered. Bottom line? Our millennials are fleeing and that is bad. We need them to buy ...

NEW BRUNSWICK - Deep in a tropical forest in Borneo 15 years ago, Rutgers student Didik Prasetyo first encountered a young male orangutan that he named “Jerry.”

The great ape was one of several orangutans that Prasetyo and other researchers followed at the Tuanan Orangutan Research Station in the Mawas Conservation Area in Indonesia. Prasetyo was skeptical when colleagues said ...

NEW BRUNSWICK - Rutgers University officials have often been wary of the governor's annual budget message, wondering what type of budget cuts the university may sustain and how it would potentially impact tuition and the overall quality of education.

This budget message, delivered March 13, appears to be a sigh of relief.

OPINION

Dear Editor: As speech-language pathologists across New Jersey prepare to mark “National March into Literacy Month,” let’s address the alarming number of young children who spend countless hours a day on a handheld screen.

According to a study from the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting, the more time that children under two years spend on smartphones, tablets and ...

NEWARK - The National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) is proud to announce that the New Jersey Association of Health Underwriters has once again received Gold Certification – awarded to the strongest chapters in the nation.

NJAHU achieved Gold Certification from national headquarters underscoring how well the organization has operated and achieved its lofty goals in the ...